Howl
by Shoshana aka Faye Faye
Summary: One winter night, Renji and Rukia realize that there is more to their friendship than either had imagined.
1. Chapter 1

As the night enveloped the city, a lone figure in torn jeans and a navy pea coat roamed the streets. A wind from behind pushed locks of his red hair into Renji's face. He didn't care; he was lost in thought. Since Rukia had met Ichigo, she had been different. She had gained a confidence that she had lost. It had been eating at him. He wanted to know why Ichigo was able to do this. Why he couldn't be the one. She apparently trusted that orange-haired kid more than she trusted him. The mere thought of those two got him all riled up.

The sound of footsteps gaining on him pulled him out of his brooding. The tattooed god of death turned to see a raven-haired young woman in a pink quilted down jacket running towards him.

"Renji," Rukia cried, "wait!"

When she caught up with him, she went to hit him upside the head as she caught her breath. "Why did you leave?"

He dodged the hit. "You've heard the mortal saying, two's company and three's a crowd." He started walking away. He was in no mood to explain.

Rukia grabbed the back of his pea coat. "Renji, don't walk away from me."

"Then give me a reason to stay," he snarled.

Shocked by his remark, Rukia let go of his coat.

Renji took the release as her answer. He started walking away from Rukia. He wasn't the type of guy to stay where he wasn't wanted. He quickened his pace to get as much distance as he could from her.

After walking a few blocks, the tattooed death god looked around to get his bearing and realized he walked down the exact street where he first met Ichigo. Ichigo came to protect Rukia from his captain Byakuya, who was Rukia's adopted brother, and him. Also this was where he suffered his first defeat by Ichigo. The memory of the loss, which happened in front of Rukia, cut him as deeply as the order to retrieve Rukia from the mortal world.

He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. The emotions tied to that night and those he felt when Rukia didn't answer swallowed Renji.

Renji didn't want to bring Rukia home as a criminal; he went to bring her home because he missed her. They had been through so much as street kids and as students at the Academy. They were always there for one another then. Regardless of the Kuchiki family adopting her, Rukia was home to him.

The revelation surprised him. What surprised him more was he realized that she was more than that to him: Rukia was his heart. The jealousy and anger he felt every time he saw Ichigo now made sense. Ichigo's ability to advance his skills quicker than him wasn't the cause; it was the kid's closeness to her.

Now, Renji knew the truth, but he didn't feel any better.

Rukia stared into the distance long after his red hair disappeared into the dark. She didn't understand what had happened. Why was he angry with her? What did that mortal adage have to do with anything? He wasn't acting like himself. The Renji she knew was brash, laughed easily, and always there for her. The guy who just left was surly and made no sense.

A cold wind blew through her, licking the hem of her red dress. She shivered and pulled the collar of her down jacket closer.

"I need to find him," she thought.

Rukia ran down the street. When she reached the corner, she kept going straight.


	2. Chapter 2

Renji found a playground and walked straight for the jungle gym. He was tired of wandering with his thoughts. He saw the jungle gym had monkey bars. He walked over to a set of bars and began doing chin-ups. Exercise always helped him clear his mind. He didn't want anyone to think something was bothering him. Renji didn't Rukia to know how much her relationship with Ichigo disturbed him.

Death gods, shinigami, aren't supposed to be swayed by their emotions. They are meant to send souls to the Soul Society and to cleanse tortured souls from their hollow states. His emotions never got in the way of his duty as a shinigami. He always relied on his emotions fueled him, but these emotions of jealousy and anger he was unsure he could rein in.

"I will learn control," he said to himself.

The tattooed death god removed his coat after the first hundred chin-ups. The white long sleeves of his shirt stood out beneath his black and blue retro bowling shirt. Sweat trickled down his face and worked its way through his unbound hair. He believed doing a total of 500 chin-ups would be enough to clear his mind.

Snow began to fall, but Renji didn't care. The workout was keeping him warm.

He was determined to complete the 500.

After the third block, Rukia stopped running. She realized that she had no idea which way he went.

"Idiot, when I find you, I'll kick you all the back to the Soul Society," she muttered.

The raven-haired young woman passed a playground and noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see two white lines moving up and down. As she walked towards the movement, Rukia recognized the red hair.

She ran to the far side of the jungle gym and Renji. She didn't want him to see her. As she approach, Rukia wondered where his coat was; he was going to catch cold. The snow crunched underneath her feet. She realized if she wanted to keep the element of surprise, she had to run.

Renji thought he heard something, but ignored it. He assumed if someone or something were going to attack him, the fight would help clear his mind. His body tensed as he waited for the strike.

Footsteps from behind him sped up. "You, idiot!" cried Rukia as her flying kick hit Renji square in his back.

The sound of Rukia's voice surprised him. He didn't expect her. Upon impact, he let go of the bar. He dropped to the ground, but landed face first into the snow.

Rukia landed on top of him. She straddled him, resting in the small of his back. She grabbed a few locks of hair and pulled.

Renji squirmed to grab hold of her hand and free his hair. Rukia raised herself just enough off his back to have Renji roll over and face her. She sat down just below his waist.

"Let go of me, woman," he growled. She did.

He sat up, causing Rukia to slide down a bit onto his lap. His breath was quick. Renji didn't want his body for any reason to betray him. He closed his eyes and took slow, deep breaths to cool his pulse.

As he calmed down, Rukia felt the heat of his breath on her face and the rise and fall of his chest through her pink down jacket. The raven-haired young woman waited patiently for him to speak. She thought it would be better if he began.

The tattooed death god felt Rukia's breath on his face. He knew he'd be lost if he opened his eyes and looked into hers.

"What do you want with me, Rukia?"

"Want?" She smacked him. "I want to know why you left and why you walked away from me?"

His familiar cocky smile slipped over Renji's lips. "I walked away because you never gave me a reason to stay." He placed his hands on the sides of her shoulders and began to move Rukia off.

She pulled off both of his hands and pinned his hands under her knees in the snow. "I need to give you a reason to stay?"

He opened his eyes and stared into hers. "Yes, you do," he said with a huskier voice than he intended. He was grateful her iolite colored eyes were in shadow, so he wouldn't get lost in them and lose his nerve.

The raven-haired young woman sat there, staring into his moonlit eyes. If he had been sitting with his back to the moon, she never would have seen what his eyes held. Rukia learned why he needed a reason: the tattooed death god's passion and love for and the pain he felt because she couldn't give him a reason her were laid bare in his chocolate brown eyes.

Now she understood.

Rukia was surprised that it took her so long to realize how Renji felt about her, but what surprised her more was how joy this knowledge gave her. Her cheeks blushed as she wrapped her arms around his chest and buried her face in his neck.

"You big idiot, stay because I love you," she whispered into his ear.

Renji pushed free of Rukia's embrace. She was surprised he did this and was ready to yell at him, but he cupped her face with his hands. Tentatively his lips kissed hers, unsure of her response. Though he had been in the cold without wearing his coat for some time, his lips felt warm against hers. Slowly his kisses explored her lips then her mouth with a restraint desire. He didn't want to scare away Rukia.

Rukia felt her pulse quicken first with every touch of his lips then his tongue. Her hands worked their way through the long red hair, gently pulling him closer.


End file.
